 P. Joseph Haas, Jr.
Contact Information:
Phone: 269-651-3281
Fax: 269-651-3261
E-Mail: jhaas@dresserlaw.com
Areas of Practice:
P. Joseph Haas, Jr. joined the law firm upon graduation from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1992. He is a native of St. Joseph County, having been raised in Mendon, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1988. Joe has been active in both local and state bar association activities. Locally, Joe served as the President of the St. Joseph County Bar Association. Statewide, Joe is a member of the Employment and Labor Law, Family Law and the Public Corporation Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan. Joe holds a Certificate of Completion in the area of family law issues by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Regionally, Joe is licensed to practice in Indiana and is a member of the Indiana Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Upon coming to Sturgis, Joe became immediately involved in a number of community organizations. Joe has been on the City Commission since 1999 and was appointed Mayor of Sturgis for the 2004-05 term. In addition, Joe is a past-chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party and is the current chairman of Michigan's 6th Congressional District Republican Party. He is a member of the Sturgis Exchange Club, serving as its President in 1997-98 and annual chair of the July 4 th Ribs on the Runway event. Joe was named Sturgis Exchangite of the Year in 1999 and Southwestern Michigan Exchangite of the Year in 2002. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the St. Joseph County United Way. He was President of the Sturgis United Fund at the time of its merger with the Western St. Joseph County Community Chest, which merger formed the current St. Joseph County United Way. Joe has served on the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority since 2004, currently serving as its chairman. He has been active with the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce where he co-chaired Sturgis’ annual Michigan Week celebration and was a member of the Ambassadors Club and is currently serving on its Board of Directors. Joe also served on, or has been a Commission liaison, to a number of City boards, including the Sturgis Hospital Board, the Downtown Development Authority, the Local Development Finance Authority, and the City Employee Retirement Board. He is a Board Member of the Sturgis Area Business Education Alliance and is a long time member of the Elks Lodge #1381 where he served as Exalted Ruler in 1996-97. Joe has also helped with coaching both of his sons’ soccer and baseball teams.
Joe has taken special interest in the area of labor and employment law, where he has helped clients develop and maintain employee handbooks as well as various employment policies. He also has been active in serving as a legal counsel for various area businesses and municipalities.
Associations and Experiences
- Michigan State Bar, Indiana State Bar
- Kalamazoo College, B.A. in Economics, 1988
- University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1992
- Past Board Member of the St. Joseph County United Way
- Chairman of the 6th Congressional District Republican Party
- Past President of Sturgis Exchange Club and District Exchangite of the Year
- Chairman of annual July 4 th Celebration – Ribs on the Runway
- Chairman of the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority
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